Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a medical instrument for use with a surgical ligation clip. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to a modular applier for positioning, securing, and closing a surgical ligation clip (from a plurality of ligation clips loaded into a clip cartridge or clip pack) around a vessel to be occluded.
Description of Related Art
Endoscopic staplers and clip appliers are known in the art and are used for a number of distinct and useful surgical procedures. In the case of a laparoscopic surgical procedure, access to the interior of an abdomen is achieved through narrow tubes or cannulas inserted through a small entrance incision in the skin. Minimally invasive procedures performed elsewhere in the body are often generally referred to as endoscopic procedures. Typically, a tube or cannula device is extended into the patient's body through the entrance incision to provide an access port. The port allows the surgeon to insert a number of different surgical instruments therethrough using a trocar and for performing surgical procedures far removed from the incision.
During a majority of these procedures, the surgeon must often terminate the flow of blood or another fluid through one or more vessels. The surgeon will often apply a surgical clip to a blood vessel or another duct to prevent the flow of body fluids therethrough during the procedure. An endoscopic clip applier is known in the art for applying a single clip during an entry to the body cavity. Such clips are typically fabricated from a biocompatible material and are usually compressed over a vessel. Once applied to the vessel, the compressed clip terminates the flow of fluid therethrough.
Endoscopic clip appliers including movable jaws that are able to apply multiple clips in endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures during a single entry into the body cavity are described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,084,057 and 5,100,420 to Green et al., which are both incorporated by reference in their entirety. Another multiple endoscopic clip applier is disclosed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,436 by Pratt et al., the contents of which is also hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. These devices are typically, though not necessarily, used during a single surgical procedure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,502 to Pier et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a resterilizable surgical clip applier. The clip applier advances and forms multiple clips during a single insertion into the body cavity. This resterilizable clip applier is configured to receive and cooperate with an interchangeable clip magazine so as to advance and form multiple clips during a single entry into a body cavity.
Other clip appliers include fixed jaws that apply a single clip in an endoscopic or laparoscopic procedure and which then have to be withdrawn from the body cavity in order to be loaded with an additional single clip, for further application within the body cavity. U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,304 to Allen et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses such a fixed jaw surgical clip applier. Generally, use of these appliers includes actuation by a surgeon of the applier to fire the single clip, withdrawal of the applier from the body cavity of the patient, removal of the expired clip cartridge (having contained the single clip) from the handle assembly of the applier, and loading of a new clip cartridge onto the handle assembly in order to fire another surgical clip.
Accordingly, a need exists for laparoscopic surgical clip appliers that include reusable handle assemblies, reusable shaft assemblies, and disposable clip cartridge assemblies, with each clip cartridge assembly being loaded with a plurality of surgical ligation clips.